Suspender bottom bracket for ceiling frameworks, a suspender having this kind of bottom bracket, and an assembly comprising a sealing framework and at least one such suspender

ABSTRACT

A suspender bottom bracket for ceiling frameworks, which bottom bracket ( 10 ) comprises a support wall ( 11 ) which is adapted to be fastened to a rod ( 31 ) of the suspender and is extended by two flanges ( 12, 13 ) in parallel planes and each having a rim ( 14, 15 ) parallel to the support wall ( 11 ), the two rims ( 14, 15 ) being directed toward the interior of the volume encompassed by the support wall ( 11 ) and the planes of the flanges ( 12, 13 ): the rims ( 14, 15 ) have at their end a fixing lug ( 16, 17 ), said fixing lugs ( 16, 17 ) being on the opposite side of the support wall ( 11 ) relative to the rims ( 14, 15 ), perpendicularly to the support wall ( 11 ), and being offset in a direction parallel to the planes of the flanges ( 12, 13 ) by a distance sufficient to provide a passage for the framework, said flanges ( 12, 13 ) that extend from the support wall ( 11 ) as far as said rims ( 14, 15 ) having the overall shape of parallelograms ( 22, 23 ).  
     A suspender having the above kind of bottom bracket and an assembly comprising a framework and at least one such suspender.

[0001] The invention relates generally to suspenders used to suspendsections from a support, for example to hold up a framework consistingof rows of sections receiving a suspended ceiling.

[0002] A suspender generally includes a rod coupled to a bottom bracket;the end of the rod that is not coupled to the bottom bracket usually hasa head adapted to be attached to the support, and the bottom bracket isadapted to receive the section to be suspended.

[0003] If it is required to adjust the height of the bottom bracketrelative to the head, the rod is a threaded rod which is screwed intothe head and onto which the bottom bracket is screwed.

[0004] The suspender bottom bracket comprises a support wall adapted tobe fastened to said rod, the support wall being extended by two flangesin parallel planes and on the same side of the support wall; the twoflanges each have a rim parallel to the support wall, the two rims beingdirected toward the interior of the volume encompassed by the supportwall and the planes of the flanges; the two rims, which are directedtoward each other and aligned with each other, define an open ringadapted to have the upper portion of the T-shaped sections of theframework threaded through it.

[0005] Obviously, they can only be threaded through in this way beforethe suspenders are installed, i.e. before the heads of the suspendersare fixed to the support.

[0006] Clearly, the presence of the sections does not facilitateinstalling the suspenders; what is more, nowadays it is preferred toinstall the suspenders, to adjust them if they are adjustable, and thento fit the sections.

[0007] An object of the present invention is to propose a suspenderbottom bracket enabling this.

[0008] According to the invention, a suspender bottom bracket forceiling frameworks, which bottom bracket comprises a support wall whichis adapted to be fastened to a rod of the suspender and is extended bytwo flanges in parallel planes and each having a rim parallel to thesupport wall, the two rims being directed toward the interior of thevolume encompassed by the support wall and the planes of the flanges, ischaracterized in that the rims have at their end a fixing lug, saidfixing lugs being on the opposite side of the support wall relative tothe rims, perpendicularly to the support wall, and being offset in adirection parallel to the planes of the flanges by a distance sufficientto provide a passage for the framework, said flanges that extend fromthe support wall as far as said rims having the overall shape ofparallelograms.

[0009] It is advantageous if the support wall is generally rectangularand the area connecting the flanges to the support wall extends thesupport wall, said connecting area being extended into saidparallelogram shape.

[0010] It is preferable if the rims are generally rectangular and thearea connecting the flanges to said rims extends the rims, saidconnecting area extending into said parallelogram shape.

[0011] The non-parallel sides of the parallelograms are advantageouslyat an angle of 45° to each other.

[0012] The present invention also provides a ceiling framework suspenderincluding a rod coupled to the above bottom bracket.

[0013] The rod is advantageously a threaded rod.

[0014] The rod is preferably coupled to the bottom bracket by an elasticmember.

[0015] The elastic member is advantageously an elastomer block.

[0016] Alternatively, the spring member is a coil spring.

[0017] The spring member advantageously comprises an elastomer block anda coil spring in series.

[0018] The present invention also provides an assembly comprising aceiling framework and at least one of the above suspenders.

[0019] It is advantageous if the framework comprises sections and thefixing lugs of the bottom brackets are fastened, for example screwed, tothe web of said sections.

[0020] To explain the invention better, an embodiment shown in theaccompanying drawings is described next by way of purely illustrativeand non-limiting example.

[0021] In the drawings:

[0022]FIG. 1 is an elevation view of a suspender bottom bracketaccording to the invention;

[0023]FIG. 2 is a top view of the bottom bracket from FIG. 1;

[0024]FIG. 3 is a view in the direction of the arrow III in FIG. 2;

[0025]FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a cut-out blank which is bent toobtain the bottom bracket from FIGS. 1 to 3;

[0026]FIG. 5 is a partial view in section of a suspender including thebottom bracket from FIGS. 1 to 3;

[0027]FIG. 6 is a partial perspective view of a variant of the suspenderincluding the bottom bracket from FIGS. 1 to 3;

[0028]FIG. 7 is a partial perspective view of another variant of thesuspender including the bottom bracket from FIGS. 1 to 3.

[0029] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, it is seen that, in accordance withthe invention, a suspender bottom bracket 10 comprises a support wall 11which is adapted to be attached to a rod of the suspender and isextended by two flanges 12 and 13.

[0030] The two flanges 12 and 13 are in planes parallel to each otherand perpendicular to the plane of the support wall 11.

[0031] Each of the flanges 12, 13 has a respective rim 14, 15 parallelto the support wall 11 and directed inward in relation to the volumeencompassed by the support wall 11 and the planes of the flanges 12, 13.

[0032] Each rim 14, 15 has at its free end a respective fixing lug 16,17 perpendicular to the support wall 11 and on the opposite side thereofrelative to the rims 14 and 15.

[0033] The two fixing lugs 16 and 17 are offset in a direction parallelto the planes of the flanges 12 and 13 by a distance sufficient topermit the passage of a framework, in this instance a section P whoseupper portion is T-shaped, as shown in relatively thinner line in thefigures, as in the case of an I-section, for example.

[0034] According to one important feature of the invention, the flanges12 and 13 have the overall shape of parallelograms 22, 23.

[0035] The above kind of bottom bracket 10 is simply obtained by bendinga cut-out blank such as that shown in plan view in FIG. 4, which alsoshows bending lines 20.

[0036] It can be seen that such blanks can be cut out from strip withoutwasting material, which is economical.

[0037] Here, the lozenges 22 and 23 of the flanges 12 and 13 do notextend between two bending lines 20: the support wall 11 is rectangular,or even square, and the parallelogram 22 or 23 is connected to thesupport wall 11 by a connecting area 21 which extends said support wall11 beyond the bending lines 20 that delimit it; in the same way, eachrim 14, 15 is rectangular and each parallelogram 22, 23 is connected tothe corresponding rim by a connecting area 24, 25 which extends the rimconcerned.

[0038] Thus, to be more precise, the flange 12, which lies between twobending lines 20, comprises the parallelogram 22 and the two connectingareas 21 and 24; similarly, the flange 13 comprises the parallelogram 23and the two connecting areas 21 and 25.

[0039] In the embodiment described and shown, the nonparallel sides ofthe parallelograms 22 and 23 are at an angle of 45° to each other.

[0040] The use of the bottom bracket 10 according to the inventionfollows from the above description.

[0041] After fitting the bottom bracket 10 over the upper portion of thesection P, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, it is sufficient to pivot thebottom bracket 10 by one quarter-turn in the direction of the arrow F inFIG. 2 to bring said bottom bracket 10 into the FIG. 3 position in whichthe fixing lugs 16 and 17 are pressed against respective opposite sidesof the web of the section P with the horizontal flange of the section Presting on the rims 14 and 15, the relative dimensions of the bottombracket 10 and the section P being determined accordingly.

[0042] Holes 19 in the fixing lugs 16 and 17 enable them to be fixed,for example screwed, to the web of the section P.

[0043] It can be seen that, thanks to the invention, it is possible toinstall the suspender first and then to suspend a section P from itsbottom bracket 10 afterwards.

[0044] Furthermore, the flanges 12 and 13 inclined to the horizontal,here at 45°, and directly connecting the support wall 11 to the rims 14and 15 on which the section P rests produce a very high resistance totraction.

[0045] The bottom bracket 10 encompasses a volume that can be exploitedto install a spring member for coupling the rod to the bottom bracket,said spring member minimizing or eliminating the transmission ofvibrations.

[0046] The FIG. 5 partial view shows a spring member comprising anelastomer block 32 having in its upper portion a button by means ofwhich it is clipped onto the support wall 11, which has an opening 18 init for this purpose (see FIGS. 1 to 4).

[0047] The elastomer block 32 is molded around an insert 33 which has aninternally screwthreaded central bore on the axis of a central passageformed in the block 32; a threaded rod 31 meshes with the central threadof the insert 33; the position of the bottom bracket 10 on the rod 31can therefore be adjusted.

[0048] In the FIG. 6 variant, the insert is replaced by a cup 43 whichcaps the lower portion of an elastomer block 42 and against which bearsa nut 44 screwed onto the threaded rod.

[0049] In FIG. 7, an elastomer block 52 in series with a coil spring isused.

1. A suspender bottom bracket for ceiling frameworks, which bottombracket (10) comprises a support wall (11) which is adapted to befastened to a rod (31) of the suspender and is extended by two flanges(12, 13) in parallel planes and each having a rim (14, 15) parallel tothe support wall (11), the two rims (14, 15) being directed toward theinterior of the volume encompassed by the support wall (11) and theplanes of the flanges (12, 13), which bottom bracket is characterized inthat the rims (14, 15) have at their end a fixing lug (16, 17), saidfixing lugs (16, 17) being on the opposite side of the support wall (11)relative to the rims (14, 15), perpendicularly to the support wall (11),and being offset in a direction parallel to the planes of the flanges(12, 13) by a distance sufficient to provide a passage for theframework, said flanges (12, 13) that extend from the support wall (11)as far as said rims (14, 15) having the overall shape of parallelograms(22, 23).
 2. A suspender bottom bracket according to claim 1,characterized in that the support wall (11) is generally rectangular andthe area (21) connecting the flanges (12, 13) to the support wall (11)extends the support wall (11), said connecting area (21) being extendedinto said parallelogram shape (22, 23).
 3. A suspender bottom bracketaccording to either claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the rims(14, 15) are generally rectangular and the area (24, 25) connecting theflanges (12, 13) to said rims (14, 15) extends the rims (14, 15), saidconnecting area (24, 25) extending into said parallelogram shape (22,23).
 4. A suspender bottom bracket according to any of claims 1 to 3,characterized in that the non-parallel sides of the parallelograms (22,23) are at an angle of 45° to each other.
 5. A ceiling frameworksuspender including a rod coupled to a bottom bracket, characterized inthat the bottom bracket is a bottom bracket according to any of claims 1to
 4. 6. A suspender according to claim 5, characterized in that the rod(31) is a threaded rod.
 7. A suspender according to either claim 5 orclaim 6, characterized in that the rod is coupled to the bottom bracket(10) by an elastic member.
 8. A suspender according to claim 7,characterized in that the elastic member is an elastomer block (32, 42).9. A suspender according to claim 7, characterized in that the springmember is a coil spring (43).
 10. A suspender according to claim 7,characterized in that the spring member comprises an elastomer block(52) and a coil spring (43) in series.
 11. An assembly comprising aceiling framework and at least one suspender, characterized in that thesuspender is a suspender according to any of claims 5 to
 10. 12. Anassembly according to claim 11, characterized in that the frameworkcomprises I-sections (P) and the fixing lugs (16, 17) of the bottombrackets (10) are fastened, for example screwed, to the web of saidsections (P).